Rem's art archive

aoiremart:

She admired him.

She was aware of this fact; yet, she couldn’t bring herself to talk to him. She didn’t dare. He was… close and distant at the same time, almost unreachable. Words that begged to be voiced always ended up lingering inside her mind, where no one could hear them.

It didn’t feel particularly great.

“You are…” A voice spoke behind her back.

Cynthia turned and saw a male wolf. He looked a bit confused, as if he was trying to figure out who she was. “Oh, good morning” Cynthia said, and showed him the pass Gregory had given to her. As soon as she did it, the wolf’s eyes widened.

“I didn’t recognize you, Miss Walker. I’m sorry.” The wolf bowed, putting Cynthia at unease.

“No need to bow your head” Cynthia quietly replied. “I’m just a visitor.”

“But aren’t you Kohle’s…”

“Please” she insisted, “don’t worry about me.”

The wolf gave her a perplexed look for a second. “I’ll be going, then. Tell me if you need something” he said, and then left.

At the same time, Jack Savage stopped his practice and greeted her from the shooting range. “Hi there, Miss Walker.”

Cynthia froze. ‘He’s talking to me!’ she thought, in panic. “H-Hi” she muttered. “I’m sorry I distracted you, Mr. Savage.”

“No problem, I had almost finished.” The hare exited the fenced area and removed his ear protection. “What brought you here? Do you have a message from Kohle?”

“Er…” Did she have a message from Gregory? No, she didn’t. So, there was no reason for her to loiter in that place… but she couldn’t simply say something like that. “Yes” she improvised, “he said he wanted to… have some tea with you.” ‘I’m such a moron.’

Silence. Jack frowned, clearly confused. “Tea…?”

“A-and talk!” she added. “About… something important, if I remember correctly.”

“Oh.” Jack tilted his head. He had such a small head. “Okay, when?”

“One of these days. He’ll eventually tell you the details, so, hum… b-be ready.” Cynthia looked down, flustered because of her own stupidity. Her eyes accidentally fell upon the gun Jack was still holding in his paw. “… Nice weapon”.

She realized one second later she had said it loud.

However, Jack seemed positively surprised. “Do you think so?” he asked, shrugging. “To be honest, I don’t think it really suits me.”

“I think it suits you!” Cynthia claimed. “I think… you and the gun make a nice couple.” ‘Good grief, Cynthia, just stop talking—’

Just then, Jack sniggered. “Well, thank you, Miss Walker. Assuming it was a compliment, that is.”

Cynthia felt incredibly stupid and wanted to escape, but it seemed like her back legs were glued to the ground. So, she had no choice but keep talking. “What model is it?” she asked.

“The gun? It’s a Tokarev TT-30” Jack replied.

“It looks heavy.”

“It is, indeed.” Jack handed the gun to her. “Want to try?”

She hesitated. Cynthia had never handled a gun; she didn’t even know how to hold it. And yet, she took the weapon with concealed excitement.

It was heavy, but not too much. And, more importantly… it made her feel like she was powerful. Cynthia raised the gun and pointed at the wall. She was probably smiling. “Amazing” she breathed.

“Hum…” Jack looked concerned. “The weapon is still loaded, actually.”

“… Oh.” Cynthia quickly lowered her arm and returned the Tokarev to Jack. “I couldn’t have fired, though; I never pulled a trigger before. Not like I wanted to do it, anyway.”

Awkward silence descended upon them, until Jack said: “… By the way, Miss Walker, tell Colonel I’m waiting for his instructions.”

“Eh? For what?” Cynthia gasped. And then remembered. “Oh, yes, the tea… the tea he’s willing to have with you. The tea.”

“That’s… correct”. Jack took a step back. “That being said, I think I’ll… get back to practice. There are targets I still need to, you know… hit.”

“Yes, of course. I’ll take my leave, then.” Cynthia looked away, embarrassed. “Have a nice day, Mr. Savage.”

“You too” he replied, before returning to the shooting range.

Cynthia watched him for a while; he was tiny and slender, but a strong aura surrounded his figure. It was almost like nothing could make him waver.

‘I want to be like him’ she found herself thinking. ‘I want his strength, his composure, his dedication.’ Because she felt exposed, she had to protect herself; to do so, she yearned to be strong. Because she was weak.

She finally departed from that place, an unpleasant feeling carving into her heart like a knife. Being weak was an illness she could no longer tolerate.

___________________________________

Let’s continue with the repost of my stories!

Finally, a story from Cynthia’s POV. A young Cynthia, to be more exact — she’s about 17-18yo here, which means she’s 10 years younger compared to her apparition in BJ. As you can see, she really admired Jack since then.

For the other stories and comics, please visit this page: AoiRemArt Comics & Stories!

For the original link of the story on AO3, go here.

Please remember that this is aoimotion and rem289’s common blog, in which we’ll post all our works made together, past and future!
For more information, check this post: AoiRemArt Inauguration

Writer: aoimotion
Drawing: rem289

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aoiremart:

“It was very kind of you to invite me here, Colonel.” Jack slightly bowed his head, then looked around with discretion. “I have to say you have a nice mansion.”

“Don’t be so formal, my boy.” Gregory Kohle gave him a firm, yet kind smile as he closed the door. “Today you’re here as a guest, so relax and enjoy your stay.”

“Yes sir” Jack said, then he corrected himself: “I mean… yes, thank you for the opportunity.”

“Jack…” the dog sighed, “is this the first you got invited to someone’s house?”

The hare nodded.

“Ok, so here’s a tip: don’t look like you’re inspecting the scene of a crime. It’s kind of… awkward.”

“Oh. Oh.” Jack slightly scratched his neck, now unsure of where he was supposed to look… and how. “I apologize for my rude behavior.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Colonel shook his head, sighing again. “Now, let me show the house” he said, and began to walk.

“With pleasure.” Jack followed him, and the two mammals left the entrance.

“Come to think of it” started the dog, “I never introduced my wife to you.”

“I don’t know her, sir” he confirmed.

“She’s the most beautiful creature in the world” Gregory continued. “My most precious and inestimable treasure.”

“I see” Jack replied. But, to be honest, it was extremely difficult for him to conceive such a deep and strong feeling. However, he knew – by hearsay – that mammals fall in love with each other, and that’s how babies come from. So, his understanding of the matter was, if anything, academically correct.

“Oh, also: there is another mammal that you should meet. However, she…” At that moment, they were close enough to the salon for the voice coming from the inside being audible in the corridor.

Or, more correctly… the voices.

Jack, who was walking behind the colonel, suddenly stopped moving. Gregory noticed it and stopped too. “That voice…” Jack murmured. His ears involuntarily reacted to the sounds coming from the salon and he moved toward them, almost pushed by an invisible force. Behind him, the colonel merely followed him without saying a word.

“… Here” a voice was speaking; one Jack didn’t know. “Here’s the difficult part. Do you want me to play it again?”

“No, I guess I got it” said the other voice – this time, it sounded so familiar to him. So incredibly familiar. Yet, at the same time, incredibly distant. Whose voice was that? Jack stepped forward, but he didn’t enter the salon.

“You know, you can come in.”

“Ah…” Jack sighed and turned to the Colonel. “I’m sorry, I was… huh?” He found himself listening, for the familiar voice had started talking again.

“Well, let’s see…” Those words were followed by the sound of some notes played on the piano. The tune was pretty, but then it stumbled and the voice protested: “Ugh, I played it wrong again.”

“It’s all right, don’t worry.”

“But…”

“Don’t rush, Cynthia. I’m sure that with a little practice you’ll be able to play it in no time.”

‘Cynthia…?’ That name rang a bell in Jack’s head, and he quietly whispered: “She wouldn’t happen to be…?”

“Yup.” Colonel’s big, brown paw gently rested on his shoulder, but the hare still jumped a bit when he felt his touch. “So, you still remember her.”

“… How couldn’t I remember?” Jack asked, after a moment of hesitation. It was really her, then. The vixen he had met in that camp. The vixen he had saved in that camp. A sincere smile slowly appeared on his lips. “She seems to be fine, I’m glad.”

“Why don’t you go and say hello?” The dog asked, nodding to him towards the salon. “C’mon, don’t be afraid.”

“I’m not afraid” Jack replied, promptly. “It’s just… I don’t think she remembers who I am. It’s not like we talked a lot or anything, so…”

“Oh, such pain and sorrow” Gregory claimed, but the laughter that was coming out of his mouth was neither painful nor sorrowful. “Well then, why don’t you stay hidden behind the wall while I go inside and congratulate with Cynthia?”

“Wait—!” Jack tried to reach Gregory’s sleeve, but the dog had already stalked into the salon with two powerful footsteps. He followed Colonel’s movements until his eyes caught a glimpse of a white silhouette and he completely hid behind the wall. ‘But why am I hiding?’ He asked to himself, feeling stupid for some reasons. He then tried to join Gregory, naturally… but his feet were suddenly glued to the floor and he couldn’t take one single step into the room.

Meanwhile, Cynthia was saying: “Oh, were you listening, Gregory? Sorry, the song didn’t come out very… well.”

“Really? It sounded perfect to me. What’s your opinion, Professor Northwood?”

“She was playing just fine, until this point. But it’s okay, it’s a complicated melody, and that passage is pretty tricky.”

“You see? If Cecilia says so…”

“What nonsense” replied Cynthia, dryly. “You shouldn’t never give up just because someone says it’s difficult.”

‘Very well said!’ Jack agreed, delighted, inside his head… and that sudden brain activity reminded him that he was basically eavesdropping a conversation behind a wall for no better-identified reasons, and a sense of deep and distressing discomfort hit him like a speeding train.

“With your current experience, darling, it would be virtually impossible to play this piece with no mistakes” said the gentle voice of Colonel’s wife.

“Hey, I got an idea. If you have difficulties in playing that specific part, why don’t you try to sing it?”

“Sing… it?” Cynthia asked. “But, hum…”

“Gregory could be right. If you try to sing the tricky part, you could get acquainted with the melody itself and play it on the piano more smoothly.”

“I’m not sure this is a good idea, to be honest.” Her voice had become uncertain – now it was very different from the one that just a minute ago had spoken of courage and bravery. “I don’t even know the lyrics…”

“I’ll teach you. Honey, would you please get me the book on my bedside table? The one with the green binding.”

“Of course.” Jack heard Colonel’s steps approaching him and flattened – in vain – against the wall.

When Gregory saw him, he just laughed. “Are you still looking for a good reason to come in, Jack?”

“Well, I…”

“Don’t worry” the dog interrupted him, “you’ll find a valid one very soon.” Then he moved away, humming the motive that Cynthia was playing before.

He came back a little later, holding what looked like a quite old book. The binding was a bit ruined, but it must have been of a beautiful emerald green in the past. Gregory glanced at him and winked, then disappeared into the salon.

“Here it is.”

“Thank you, darling. So, let’s see…” Jack heard the sound of thick paper pages being flipped. “Found it! As for the tricky part…”

“It should be this.”

“Right, good girl. So, I play the part of the right paw, which is the most complicated, and you play the left one as you sing. Is it okay with you?”

“I’m still not convinced…” the fox mumbled, sulking.

“Now, now” Gregory said, “the audience wants to hear you sing!”

“And the audience would be… you two?”

“Who knows.” Gregory laughed, shortly followed by his wife.

“… Whatever.” Cynthia sighed, then said: “Shall we play?”

“Whenever you’re ready.” Cecilia replied.

Cynthia cleared her throat, took a deep breath, and then… she began to sing.

You are not the fool, no

You’re a beautiful one

You’re like the sun

‘Cause this one river flows in you

You are not the no one

You just look for more here

Who does care because you are the one

With it inside…

It was the most beautiful song Jack had ever heard in his life. Not that he had heard so many people singing, but he was positively sure that very few voices could match that beauty.

The melody she was chanting danced inside his ears, leaving a warm sensation, like a kind caress. Jack relaxed and slowly sat on the floor, eyes closed, concentrating all his senses on the vixen’s voice. There were no words that could explain the emotion he was feeling – something between pure bliss and melancholy, something that reminded him of memories of a long time ago. Joyful memories, sad memories, even angry memories. But everything was blended just so perfectly that he couldn’t figure out what kind of feeling was the one ultimately blazing inside his chest. But he didn’t care, because his only desire was to listen to Cynthia’s beautiful voice as long as he could.

Then, the song came to an end. Jack opened his eyes as if he had awakened from a dream and stared at the wall in front of him with an empty expression… that slowly filled up with the only emotion he could feel after listening to Cynthia’s singing: wonderment.

He suddenly got up and, without even indulging in a single change of heart, rushed into the room.

… Well, actually, just the first three steps were fast. Because, when he noticed the look on the three mammals’ faces – each one showing a different emotion – his pace slowed down to the point he eventually stopped… and barely held back the urge to turn around and go on the run.

And so, since he lacked the courage to move on as much as he lacked the courage to run away, he just stayed there, his mind trying to come up with an effective way to start the conversation and his throat shrinking in the meantime; in the end, when he tried to start his unrehearsed speech, the only thing which came out of his lips was a pitiful rattle.

“Oh, Jack, you finally decided to show up!” Gregory laughed and came towards him, perhaps perceiving his temporary disability. The dog put an arm around his thin shoulders and asked: “Cynthia, do you remember him?”

A part of Jack really wanted to scream. Another part questioned that uncool urge and requested a diagnosis on Jack’s brain, but the recesses of his mind didn’t return any positive feedback.

“…” Cynthia, still sitting on the piano stool, stared at him with astonished eyes. “You… you are…” She slowly raised a finger and pointed at herself; then, she pointed at him. “You were… there.”

Jack instantly figured out what she was talking about and nodded. “Yeah, that’s right. I was… there” he repeated, finding no better way to articulate the sentence.

The two looked at each other for a while, until Cynthia blinked, slightly shook his head and… “Wait, were you hiding behind the wall all this time?”

“Huh? N-no, I wasn’t hiding!” Jack replied, realizing on which subject the conversation had just been steered. “I was just, you know… waiting.”

Cynthia looked at him with suspicion. “For what?”

“Well…” Jack scratched his cheek. “For the right moment… I suppose?”

“To…?”

“To…” he coughed, feeling his throat clogged. “… Come and greet you.”

For a moment – a long, looong moment – Jack feared further objections from the vixen. But Cynthia, after giving him a final, penetrating glance from head to toe, just replied “Okay” and turned to the piano again.

Jack looked at her back, confused, then turned his gaze to Cecilia Northwood, who shrugged with a smile. “Jack, would you like something to drink?” she asked.

“A tea… would be perfect” he said, still a little stunned.

“Oh, just like a true-born Englishmammal!” She giggled, then proceeded to leave the salon.

Next to him, Greg gave him a small pat on his shoulder and winked. “It went well, didn’t it?” He whispered.

“I… have my doubts, Colonel.”

“Nah, I think she likes you.”

“What?” Jack raised his head and looked at the dog with horror. “I-In what sense?” He realized he had raised the tone of his voice because Cynthia was glancing at him with questioning eyes. He gave her a half smile, then went back to Gregory: “What… what do you mean?”

The colonel laughed. “Just kidding, my boy. Don’t worry!” He gave him another pat and walked away from him, towards Cynthia. “Why don’t you start going in the living room for the tea? We’ll reach you soon.”

Jack saw him approaching the vixen and murmur something in her ear. At first, she shook her head, but then she dropped her shoulders and started to rise from the stool. At that moment, Jack jumped away, to the living room, with a speed that actually surprised himself.

___________________________________

I must thank Rem for the concept of this story; it was her who told me: “I want to read the first time Jack heard Cynthia playing the piano!”. “Say no more, girl”. So, that’s how Wordement was born. 💕

Actually, I believe Cycy is not very good at playing the piano, even now during the current events of the BJ timeline. Mostly because she stopped practicing when she entered the GSD. But singing… is definitely a talent of her. Cynthia’s lung capacity is amazing, which surely helps her achieving good results in this field.

For the other stories and comics, please visit this page: AoiRemArt comics & stories!

aoiremart:

Gregory gave a deep sigh as he watched the world outside the window, feeling a fatigue that even thirty hours straight of sleep wouldn’t have been able to relieve. For a moment, he saw the reflection of his eyes on the glass; there was a mortifying sadness in them, one he hadn’t felt in a long time.

A difficult task was waiting for him. Difficult, but most of all… ungrateful.

Then, he heard steps behind him. Light, oddly slow steps. The boy those steps belonged to would’ve never walked that way, under normal circumstances. ‘But these are not normal circumstances for him neither, after all.’

Gregory didn’t wait for him to talk. Instead, he turned to the hare and said: “Jack, my boy. How are you?”

Jack Turner – or Savage, how he had taken to call himself recently, was small; small his stature, small his experience. And his heart? Judging by the concerned look in his eyes… no, that wasn’t small at all. Yet, not large enough to contain the evil inherent in this world. “I… I don’t really know” Jack answered. “I’m not injured, but… I’m not feeling ok neither. I’m sorry I can’t explain my condition properly, I’ve never been good with words, sir.” The hare shook his head, as if he wanted to hunt down some unpleasant thoughts, and asked instead: “The young vixen. The one I’ve saved… no, I’ve found in the camp. How is she?”

“Physically speaking, she suffered no serious injuries.” Gregory opened the folder he was holding under his arm and flipped through the first pages. Even though he had already read the vixen’s name several times, he found himself struck by it again.

Cynthia Walker. Walker… was quite a meaningful surname, in Gregory’s opinion. Walker, the one who walks. Walks despite adversities, uncertainty and pain. That was the message the word conveyed to him. A wonderful message, indeed. But… what was Cynthia’s opinion in this regard? Would she have been motivated to walk the path her life had taken? That was a question nobody could answer. A question which instinctively invoked fear, because of its unfathomable nature.

“Have you already got a hold of her family?” Jack asked.

“You see…” Gregory started, then turned his gaze to the door beyond which Cynthia Walker was, lying in a hospital bed as comfortable as useless. No litter, as warm and soft as it could be, would have been able to prepare the vixen for the raw truth that was waiting to be revealed to her. “Sadly, it looks like Cynthia Walker has no longer a family to come back to.”

Jack’s eyes widened. “What does that mean, sir? Are they…”

“Dead? No, I don’t think her parents are dead. They just… well, disappeared.”

“Do you mean you can’t contact them?”

“According to our investigation, Cynthia’s parents moved four years ago, and nobody knows where they headed” Gregory explained. “So, at present, Cynthia is orphaned as a result of the disappearance of her household. In other words, the poor creature you brought to us, Jack, doesn’t have a home anymore.”

The hare made a discomforted expression. “That’s terrible” he murmured, then turned to Cynthia’s room and asked, “What will happen to her, then?”

“In cases, such as this, you usually try to put them in an orphanage. However – and now I’m going back to what I was previously saying – although Cynthia’s physical condition is stable, the same cannot be said about her psyche.” Gregory closed the folder and frowned, then added: “If she could have got back to her family, perhaps the situation would have been under control. But this way… it’ll be traumatic for her.” He could already imagine the consequences that a placement to an orphanage would have caused, and his heart ached.

“Aren’t there other alternatives?”

“Finding a family who is willing to take care of her, for example” replied the dog, “in other words, adoption. But even this solution involves risks, not to mention the difficulties in carrying it out quickly.”

Jack wrinkled his nose, obviously intent on some profound elucubration – which was probably something he wasn’t used to do, judging by the painful way he was clenching his jaw.

Gregory kindly laughed at that extreme concentration. “You know, I wonder why I’m telling you these details. After all, you have no right nor permission to know them.” The dog leaned a paw on Jack’s little shoulder and, looking straight into his eyes, inquired: “Do you know why, Jack?”

The hare didn’t seem intimidated by that vis-a-vis. ‘He’s got guts’, Gregory had to admit. ‘I like this kid.’ Jack lowered his eyelids for a moment, then shook his head. “No, sir” he honestly admitted, “I don’t know.”

“Of course you don’t” Gregory agreed, before moving away from him. Jack Turner was nothing, technically speaking. But that night, in that camp, something important had happened; a bond was born, that important bond that is formed between the savior and the one who is saved. Gregory respected that bond. Therefore, in his eyes, Jack had the special privilege to know every detail of Cynthia Walker’s situation, the first creature he had ever placed – consciously or not – under his wing.

… Obviously enough, it was clear as day that not only such a talk wouldn’t have penetrated Jack’s skull – skull which, for the sake of truth, seemed extremely thick – but also, there was a risk that it would have blew his head apart. “Listen, Jack.” Gregory finally spoke; his voice became deeper, and this time the little herbivore showed an even so slight hint of submission. “What I told you about Cynthia’s situation… has to be a secret between me and you. If I found out you intentionally or accidentally divulged them… you can already imagine what would happen in that case, can’t you?”

“… You would prevent me from officially enlisting in the GSD, right”?

“Precisely, my boy. So, you’ll hold your tongue tight.” It wasn’t even a question, but an order. The first order Gregory gave Jack Turner who, in the future, would’ve became one of his best agents. “Understood?”

Jack nodded. There was no hesitation in him, as if he was ready to do so from the very beginning. After all, the mere fact Jack was here meant that he was willing to do this and more; such a light order was nothing but the first step to climb in order to achieve his objective. A trifle not worth wasting even a split second to think about it.

Jack Turner was there because he wanted to become a GSD agent. His belief was as solid as a rock, and Gregory was certain it would have taken him far. Farther than anyone else. ‘Only death could make this guy desist. Death… or love’ the dog thought. Then, a sincere laughter left his mouth. “Very good!” he said, and the heavy atmosphere was swept away in a moment. “I really like you, Jack. I can’t wait to have you among my agents. You’ll have to work extra hard, you know that, don’t you?”

And, for the first time since the day he had met Jack, Gregory saw him smile. “I know that, sir. I can’t wait either” he replied. And in those words, was the very essence of the creature known by the name of Jack Turner… or rather, Jack Savage.

Gregory smiled too. Perhaps, that nickname suited Jack than he had thought, after all.

___________________________________

The little story you just read happens right after Promise and describes Cynthia’s situation on the family front. Also, it shows a young Jack Savage (Turner!) after his first, unofficial mission. Not exactly the keen&cool Agent Savage we’re used to see.

For the other stories and comics, please visit this page: AoiRemArt comics & stories!

aoiremart:

She was afraid.

I could tell, because the air was filled with a strange vibrancy. Because, as the world around us was screaming, her amber eyes were just fixed on me as if I was the only living thing left on this planet.
Her fur was as spiky as the pine needles, her body tense as if she was about to jump on me, or jump away from me. She probably didn’t know herself what she was supposed to do.
Neither I did, to be honest.

Before I even realized, I was on my knees, one paw still on my gun and the other outstretched toward her trembling body. When she saw me doing that, she growled a bit. I should have been scared, because I was a hare and she was a vixen… yet, I wasn’t.

My mind was full of questions: “Who are you?”, “Are you okay?” were the more important, the more compelling, but even them couldn’t come out from my mouth. I was speechless.

That’s why I smiled; reached again her slender figure with my paw and smiled, as if it was the only thing which could connect the two of us. I’ve never been used to smile, but that’s exactly what I did. At least, what I tried to do.

And then, just then, she spoke with a low, uncertain voice. “Are you my enemy?”

“I’m not” I replied. “What about you?”

“…” The vixen, who had been on all fours up until that moment, got up on her hind legs and stared at me. She was about my height, but since she was furrier than me, she looked bigger. Nonetheless… she was so small, in a way I couldn’t put into words. “Why should I?” she asked, eventually.

And that was it. That was everything I needed to know.

“You’re right” I said, with a smile – but this time, it was bitter and self-conscious. “Come with me; I’ll take you away from this place.”

My words were pretentious; back then, I was only vaguely aware of this fact. Yet, the strength I felt growing inside of me, the resolve which was running through my veins, the simple desire to do the right thing at the right moment… all of these feelings converged into one, single emotion, and in a blink of an eye my gun had flew away, and both my arms were stretched in front of her. “Come with me”, I repeated.

It wasn’t an order, but it wasn’t an invitation either.

It was a promise.

___________________________________

This is a very important moment in the BJ timeline, as it describes Jack and Cynthia’s first meeting, in not-so-easy circumstances for both of them. I wish I was confident enough to write more… maybe I will, when the sequel will be released. I hope so. 🤷

For the other stories and comics, please visit this page: AoiRemArt comics & stories!

aoiremart:

Suddenly, Gregory had hugged her from behind.

It was the first time he did something like that. Cecilia’s heart skipped a beat; she wasn’t expecting it at all. “Greg—”

 “I love you” he claimed, his voice so sweet in her ear. “I love you so much, Cecilia.”

Many thoughts crowded in Cecilia’s head when she heard those words. Her stomach was burning just like a blast furnace. “G-Gregory…” she murmured. “What are you doing…?”

“Just listen to me for now” he begged. “I have something I need to tell you.”

Cecilia nodded; then, Gregory began: “I know you don’t want to be tied to someone as busy and influential as me. We’ve already talked about it, and at that time I assured you that I would’ve respected your will. But, Cecilia” – the grip around her waist became tighter – “the thought of living a life without you is just unbearable. I couldn’t survive that.” His voice had slowly become a little painful. He concealed his muzzle in the groove of her shoulder, then said: “I’m going to give up the CEO’s position at the GSD. I’ll move down in hierarchy, to have more free time for you, for us.”

“You can’t do that!” Cecilia claimed. “I won’t let you do it. Not for me.”

“After that” he continued, ignoring her protests, “I want to ask you to marry me. I actually want to propose here and now, but I know you wouldn’t accept my feelings, and I know your refusal, although reasonable, would break my heart.”

“I’m not going to marry you, Gregory. I will refuse even after that, if it means talking some sense into you. You absolutely ca—” she didn’t finish the sentence, because Gregory had just taken her chin with his paw and was gently turning her muzzle towards his. “Stop, I…”

But Gregory didn’t stop. He reached her lips with his own and gave her a tender kiss. Cecilia wasn’t able to resist him; indeed, the more he kissed her, the more she couldn’t bring herself to refuse his affection.

When the kiss ended, Gregory smiled at her. “I didn’t stop. Can you forgive me?”

“I… want to hit you” Cecilia admitted, then sighed, with the taste of Gregory’s lips still torturing her mind. “We already talked about this, Greg… you’ll just make things even more complicated than they already are.”

“Love is complicated” he replied, “But at the same time, it can be really simple. As long as my heart skips a beat whenever I think of you, as long as this body of mine desires yours with all its might… I don’t need anything else, Cecilia.”

“You are an important figure” she replied. “You’re Gregory Kohle, and I can’t include myself in the reality you live in. There’s no room for me.”

“Then, I’ll change the reality in one we can share together.”

Cecilia didn’t understand. “Why are you doing this?” she asked. “Why do you want to throw away all the efforts you made in the past twenty years?” ‘For me? It doesn’t make sense…’

“Because I found something more important.” Gregory gently broke the embrace, then walked in front of her. And knelt. “I didn’t know I needed you until the day I met you. And when it happened, I realized that you were all I’ve always unconsciously desired. I’d be willing to kill, if it meant being with you for the rest of our life.” A bitter smile appeared on his face and he laughed. “Did it sound too creepy?”

“… You’re a fool” Cecilia murmured, covering her muzzle with both paws. Tears had formed at the corners of her eyes. “I won’t allow you to ruin your career for me. I have to…”

“The only thing you have to do is trust me.” Gregory stretched a paw toward. “And marry me, if it’s not too much to ask.”

“And what about Jean?” she asked. “How are you going to explain it to Jean?”

The confidence Gregory had shown up to that moment finally wavered. ‘He hasn’t spoken to him yet’ Cecilia thought. “You see, my love” she continued, shaking her head, “it’s not just about us. You can’t be so selfish, and you know that, don’t you?” Cecilia knew how many sacrifices Gregory Kohle and Jean de la Cour had done to start the GSD; such a majestic project had required an enormous amount of dedication, and they eventually did it because they had believed in each other from the bottom of their heart. She couldn’t simply ignore that, neither Greg could. “So, please… stop talking about marriage, we can’t—”

“I don’t have to explain myself to Jean.” Gregory stood up and looked at her. There was uncertainty nestled in his dark eyes; nonetheless he said: “I’m not abandoning the GSD, planning to disappear in some remote, tropical island. I will always be there with him, just not at the same level as before.”

“I don’t want you to choose between love and friendship, Gregory.”

“I’m not choosing over them. But, anyway… it would be a fairly obvious choice.”

“It’s friendship that brought you where you are now” she reminded him. “Will you pretend it’s not true?”

Gregory closed his eyes for a moment, then she called her name. “Cecilia.”

“Yes?”

“Can I…” he scratched the back of his head, looking unsure all sudden.

“What? Will you finally go back on your words?” She felt a pain piercing her heart. In the end, there was no way she could ignore her own feelings. Just conceal them, but never deny them. That was the reason why they were hurting her so much.

Gregory’s expression slowly became very kind. He took her face between her paws and she almost winced. “Cecilia… Jean will always be my dear friend. You mustn’t doubt this fact.”

“But…?”

He smiled. “But… you are, and will always be, the love of my life. You are the one I want to dedicate myself to, forever and ever.” Then, he looked sad for some reason. “Can you understand my feelings? Maybe there’re too deep, after all… maybe I just scared you.” He let her go, but Cecilia caught his paw before he could move it away from her face.

“Stupid Greg.” She kissed his paw one, two, three times. “There’s no way I can’t understand your feelings. I just… can’t figure out why you’re doing this for someone like me. I’m not special, I’m not a goddess. I’m just… me?”

“And I’d love nothing more.” Gregory’s face was glowing with pure love. “I want to marry you. I want to go on our honeymoon right now. I want to make—”

“Stop right here!” She covered his mouth. “There’s no need to say that loud.”

Gregory smirked, before removing her paw from his lips. “Oh, you’re so pure, Cecilia.”

“You embarrass me” she pouted. “Some things would better remain unsaid. Doing them is… already enough.”

“Oh, my love!” He tried to catch her in his arms, but Cecilia managed to dodge him. “C’mon, don’t be shy now.”

“You… won’t change your mind, will you?” Her voice had become serious again. “Are you sure, Gregory?”

He did feel the change in the mood, because he said: “I wouldn’t be here today, if I didn’t already make up my mind, Cecilia. I’ll stop being the CEO and marry you as soon as possible. We’ll live in a magnificent house and you’ll be the piano teacher you’ve always wanted to be.” He was so sure, as if he could already see that blissful future.

 “… Presumptuous” Cecilia murmured, but she loved that part of Gregory. “Full of yourself.”

“I’m not full of myself” he grunted – oh, did she hurt his pride? “I’m just promising my wife…”

“I’m not your wife yet.”

“But… you will be…” Gregory insisted, but maybe he was losing confidence in his own ideas. “Don’t you want to marry me, Cecilia?”

“Oh, so you’re finally realizing you didn’t ask my opinion about this.” Cecilia crossed her arms over her chest and questioned: “What if I don’t love you enough to want to become your wife, Gregory?”

She was bluffing, of course, but Gregory take her words seriously. “I… Is that so?” he seated on the bench and looked at her with a painful expression. “I suppose I can’t force you, but… in case, I’d do anything to make myself more lovable!” he eventually stated.

Cecilia made a huge effort to not laugh and keep pretending she was scolding him. “You talk big, Gregory Kohle” she said. Her voice sounded gravelly. “You can’t control others’ heart.”

Gregory lowered his ears, then raised them, but eventually lowered them again. He was like a big, insecure puppy. “I can’t control your heart neither I want to, but I can still try to win it!” he claimed.

“Greg…” but the schnauzer was already in a brooding mood and kept mumbling to himself, so Cecilia walked towards him and waved a paw in front of his muzzle. “Greg, can I say a thing?”

He blinked for a moment. “Uh, sure… what is it?”

“You know, when I told you I didn’t want a phantom husband, I didn’t expect you to come up with such an important decision.”

“I know” he replied, “but that’s the path I personally chose for me. For us.”

“A path inevitably influenced by what I said.”

“Cecilia, every decision we make is somehow influenced by someone or something.”

“You’re right, but imagine for a moment how I could feel about this.” Cecilia replied, then sighed. “Gregory, you say your love for me is immeasurable, but then you clearly underestimate mine.” She kissed his nose. “I love you just as much as you love me.”

Gregory’s eyes widened a bit; he was totally blushing. “Aren’t you a bit… unfair?” he whispered, his breath hot and moist. “This is the first time you…”

“Yes” she nodded, “just like today was the first time you hugged me. From behind, no less.”

“B-but!” he insisted, “It’s different!”

“How so, my dear?” Cecilia smiled. “You can do and say the most embarrassing things ever but when I do the same it’s different?”

“You said you love me!” Gregory claimed – actually, shouted. “You don’t understand! My heart just exploded!”

‘And so did my eardrums…’ “Oh, let me say one more thing, then.” She moved her mouth closer to his ear and murmured: “I love you so much that I would be happy just knowing you are happy, even if you weren’t mine. And if you’d be mine… I’d make sure to remind you of this fact every day… and every night.” Then, she walked away from him with a playful smile and asked: “How does it sound?”

“Y-you…” he blabbered, “you come here, now. I need to— I have to punish you for your boldness. You can’t possibly say such arousing things, turn me on like a lamp and just walk away like nothing happened.”

She laughed. “It’s not my fault you have a dirty mind.”

Gregory’s tail began to waver. “I so much want to jump on you, it’s almost painful.”

“Too bad we are in a public place, hu?” Cecilia stuck her tongue out. “But seriously now, Greg… I don’t want you to regret anything, I could never forgive myself. That’s what I was trying to tell you all along… if only you’d have let me speak.”

“I won’t regret anything” he immediately replied. “The more we talk, the more I just want to take you to my place and hold you in my arms forever. You can trust me, Cecilia. I’ve already made my decision.”

“Is it definitive?”

“It is.”

“…” Why couldn’t she just trust him? It was so difficult… and she was so scared. “But you worked so hard to achieve your position…”

“Cecilia, now we’re just repeating ourselves over and over again.” Gregory shook his head, looking terribly serious. “The only way to escape from this loop is…” he stretched a finger and pointed to a grove about 50 meters away from them. “To settle things there. Me and you.”

“… In a grove?”

“Yes.”

“And… how are you exactly planning to settle things in a grove, Gregory?”

“Well, for starters we could take our clothes off—”

“Gregory.”

“What? I’m barely holding back the urge to—”

“Gre. Go. Ry.”

“You could never imagine what I want to do with you. Even here and now, I’m just…”

“Okay, I don’t want to talk with you anymore.” Cecilia turned her back to him and covered her ears. Then, Gregory appeared in front of her and smiled like he was the happiest mammal on heart. “Don’t look at me like that” she grumped.

“Can I at least kiss you?”

“No.” But he took her chin anyway. “I said no.”

“Are you completely sure?” He was so close… she could already feel his breath over her nose and a shiver of pleasure ran down her spine.

“Uh…” she softly whined. Her resistance was so futile, after all. How could she resist the one she loved? “You really are full of yourself…”

“Yes” he replied, “and it’s all your fault. You make me feel like I can do anything. When I am with you, my heart flutters and my stomach burns with desire.” He touched her nose with his own and continued: “And what else can make someone so strong and determined?”

Cecilia understood. And because she did, there was no room left for her doubts and concerns. A single tear shone in her eye and she held on him with all her might. “Do with me what you want” she whimpered, “I’m yours.”

Gregory hugged her, kissed her, and Cecilia couldn’t help but just sunk down in that deep, warm love, her arousal becoming more and more strong to the point she barely managed to not faint in his arms. “Hey, hey… if you pass away with just a kiss, what will you do when we’ll make love?”

“I… want to hit you” she somehow managed to say. “Did I already say that…?”

“Yes, you did. Would you like to hit me right here, right now? We could play hide-and-seek in the grove first…”

“Greg… you’re an idiot.”

He laughed wholeheartedly. “I love you, Cecilia.”

“… I love you too, stupid Greg.”

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The timeline of the BJ universe – actually, I’ll eventually stop referring to this project by the name of BJ saga, since we’re planning to publish a sequel with another name – starts many, many years ago. The time here is 1999-2000 and the main protagonists of this little story are Gregory Kohle and Cecilia Northwood (they appear together in this episode of BJ). Probably the only positive couple of this project, at least for now.
I love them so much.

aoiremart:

Since yesterday I posted Just like the Moon on this blog, it’s time to make a separate page to collect all the comics made by me and Rem.
To be more exact, all the original comics we made together. That’s the purpose this blog was born for, after all.

Story, characters and script: aoimotion ✿
Storyboard, drawings and color: rem289 ✿

List of comics:

• Black❤Jack: start reading
• ☾ Just like the Moon ☽: start reading

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Last update: 02/04/2018, 11:24 AM (UTC+1)